A comprehensive model to build improvement capability in a pediatric academic medical center.

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center developed a comprehensive model to build quality improvement (QI) capability to support its goal to transform its delivery system through a series of training courses. Two online modules orient staff to basic concepts and terminology and prepare them to participate more effectively in QI teams. The basic program (Rapid Cycle Improvement Collaborative, RCIC) is focused on developing the capability to use basic QI tools and complete a narrow-scoped project in approximately 120 days. The Intermediate Improvement Science Series (I(2)S(2)) program is a leadership course focusing on improvement skills and developing a broader and deeper understanding of QI in the context of the organization and external environment. The Advanced Improvement Methods (AIM) course and Quality Scholars Program stimulate the use of more sophisticated methods and prepare Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC) and external faculty to undertake QI research. The Advanced Improvement Leadership Systems (AILS) sessions enable interprofessional care delivery system leadership teams to effectively lead a system of care, manage a portfolio of projects, and to deliver on CCHMC's strategic plan. Implementing these programs has shown us that 1) a multilevel curricular approach to building improvement capability is pragmatic and effective, 2) an interprofessional learning environment is critical to shifting mental models, 3) repetition of project experience with coaching and feedback solidifies critical skills, knowledge and behaviors, and 4) focusing first on developing capable interprofessional improvement leaders, versus engaging in broad general QI training across the whole organization, is effective.

Improved outcomes with quality improvement interventions in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease.

OBJECTIVES: Variations in chronic illness care are common in our health care system and may lead to suboptimal outcomes. Specifically, inconsistent use and suboptimal medication dosing have been demonstrated in the care of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Quality improvement (QI) efforts have improved outcomes in conditions such as asthma and diabetes mellitus, but have not been well studied in IBD. We hypothesized that QI efforts would lead to improved outcomes in our pediatric IBD population. METHODS: A QI team was formed within our IBD center in 2005. By 2007, we began prospectively capturing physician global assessment (PGA) and patient-reported global assessment. Significant QI interventions included creating evidence-based medication guidelines, joining a national QI collaborative, initiation of preclinic planning, and monitoring serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D. RESULTS: From 2007 to 2010, 505 patients have been followed at our IBD center. During this time, the frequency of patients in clinical remission increased from 59% to 76% (P < 0.05), the frequency of patients who report that their global assessment is >7 increased from 69% to 80% (P < 0.05), and the frequency of patients with a Short Pediatric Crohn's Disease Activity Index (sPCDAI) <15 increased from 60% to 77% (P < 0.05). The frequency of repeat steroid use decreased from 17% to 10% (P < 0.05). We observed an association between the use of a vitamin D supplement (P = 0.02), serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (P < 0.05), and quiescent disease activity. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that significant improvements in patient outcomes are associated with QI efforts that do not rely on new medication or therapies.

Applying quality improvement methods to implement a measurement system for chronic pain-related disability.

OBJECTIVE: This article describes the application of quality improvement methodology to implement a measurement tool for the assessment of functional status in pediatric patients with chronic pain referred for behavioral intervention. METHODS: The Functional Disability Inventory (FDI), a validated instrument for assessment of pain-related disability, was chosen as the primary clinical outcome measure. Using improvement science methodology, PDSA (Plan-Do-Study-Act) cycles were run to evaluate: (a) regular FDI administration, (b) two administration methods, (c) regular patient feedback, and (d) documentation methods. RESULTS: Within 1 month, psychologists were administering the FDI at least 80% of the time to patients. A high level of reliability using two administration methods (92.8%) was demonstrated. The FDI was feasible to integrate into clinical practice. Modifications to electronic records further enhanced clinician reliability of documentation. CONCLUSIONS: Quality improvement methods are an innovative way to make process changes in pediatric psychology settings to dependably gather and document evidence-based patient outcomes.

Community-wide intervention to improve the attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder assessment and treatment practices of community physicians.

OBJECTIVES: The goals were to implement and to test a quality-improvement intervention aimed at improving community-based primary care providers' adherence to the American Academy of Pediatrics, evidence-based diagnostic and treatment guidelines for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. METHODS: Nineteen practices (with 84 primary care providers) from a large urban community were trained by using quality-improvement methods with some academic detailing. Pretraining and posttraining adherence to evidence-based practices was assessed through review of patient charts. RESULTS: Preintervention rates of guideline usage were uniformly low. After the intervention, primary care providers showed substantial improvement in their use of the guidelines for the assessment and treatment of elementary school-aged patients with newly diagnosed attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Use of parent and teacher assessment rating scales increased from levels of 52% to 55% to levels of nearly 100%. Systematic monitoring of responses to medication improved from a baseline level of 9% to 40%. CONCLUSIONS: Quality-improvement interventions such as the one used in this study seem quite effective in improving primary care providers' practices at offices that express interest in improving the quality of care for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The design of the intervention, problems associated with improving and sustaining treatment monitoring, and issues related to generalizability of the intervention model are discussed.

Pursuing perfection: an asthma quality improvement initiative in school-based health centers with community partners.

This article describes an innovative asthma quality improvement initiative conducted in school-based health centers (SBHCs) with collaboration among multiple community partners including the children's hospital, a federally qualified health center, the health department, the public school, and parents of children with asthma. The aim was to improve the health of children with asthma in these schools, as measured by minimal asthma-related activity restriction and reduction in asthma-related emergency department (ED) visits. Process measures tracked included the percent of children with (1) asthma severity classified, (2) persistent asthma with controller medication prescribed, and (3) written care plans. Data supported a statistically significant decreasing trend for the percent of SBHC children reporting activity restriction due to asthma. In addition, trend analysis demonstrated a statistically significant difference in ED visits for asthma in the SBHC group compared with a non-SBHC group. Improvements were demonstrated for all process measures. Factors contributing to success included emphasis on community engagement, transparency in sharing ideas and results, benefits outweighing human resource costs of participating, readily available data to drive improvement, and the use of multiple intervention strategies.